Dog days of summer kick off a busy fall season

BY MAYOR DEAN J. MAZZARELLA

Last night I had about ten minutes to sit on my deck and I realized that the deck area was covered in shade when only a month ago the sun took over the deck at that very same time. What am I alluding to? Well summer is moving past us quickly and while we enjoy those much deserved summer days we in local government are getting ready for late summer and fall events.

Fall is my busiest time of the year but also my favorite. During the summer things seem to slow down and then jet right off for the fall. I have a few things that I wanted to highlight:

Ladies Night Out - Plans are well underway for the 2nd Annual Ladies Night Out & Fashion Show on Thursday, Aug. 20, from 5 to 9 p.m. Be one of the first 150 ladies to arrive at City Hall at 4:30 p.m. and receive a free gift bag filled with sample items, coupons, and special offers. As you will recall, last year's first LNO was a major success and hundreds of ladies came out to take advantage of specials, discounts, and exclusive offers from participating businesses throughout Leominster. This year we are adding free shuttle rides from City Hall to various participating businesses throughout Leominster. Join us for the much anticipated fashion show at City Hall beginning at 8 p.m. and receive a free raffle ticket for a special gift to be given away during the fashion show. For a brochure with a complete listing of participating businesses visit City Hall or go to www. leominsterevents.com. It is not too late to get involved. If you are a local business, or have an idea, please email Sandie Chacon at schacon@leominster-ma.gov.

Art Stroll - We are planning Leominster's first Art Stroll where we invite all local businesses to host an area artist by donating window space in your establishment. The public will enjoy local art as they leisurely stroll the streets of Leominster at any time during the week of Sept. 26 through Oct. 3. The event will culminate with an Artists' Reception on the afternoon of Oct. 3. A great opportunity for you to open your business to art lovers who come from far and near to view this exhibit. Want more info? Want to reserve your space right now? If so, send an e-mail to Susan at studio.s@verizon.net.

Eat Local Eat Fresh - As I do each year, I'm going to begin eating all local starting on Aug. 13th and going for one month (or more). Not only do I feel better when I do this but it also inspires a real sense of community. It can be a lot of fun visiting the different farms and farm stands and meeting the people who run them. The health benefits alone can be tremendous with locally grown food as opposed to large factory operations as there tends to be less preservatives, fillers, pesticides, etc. I also find a lot of the time that I save money eating locally. I encourage you to take part and begin eating locally. We have placed a list of local food vendor locations on our city website. Please email me at dmazzarella@ leominster-ma.gov if you know of any additional places I can add to the list. For our list of local farms/ farm stands, please visit www.leominster-ma.gov

Sholan Farms - There is so much going on at Sholan Farms this fall I do not even know where to begin so I will just begin by naming a few. On Sunday Aug. 30, "Memories of Yesteryears" Classic Car Review will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. (All Antique and Classic Cars welcomed) Enjoy music, great food, free hayrides, and u-pick apples and raspberries. Bring lawn chairs and blankets! Look for more "Yesteryears" Antique and Classic Auto Shows on Sept. 27 and Oct. 31. On Aug. 22, at 2p.m. enjoy their annual open house and picnic. (Rain date: August 23). The Mark Marquis Group will perform at 2 p.m. on Aug. 23. (Rain date: Aug. 31). The ninth annual Opening Weekend will be held from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Aug. 29 and Aug. 30. Enjoy free live entertainment (weather permitting) great food, and numerous free children's activities. The Cream of the Crop weekend will be held from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sept. 26 and Sept. 27. The Mark Marquis Jazz Ensemble will perform at 2 p.m. This is the weekend everyone waits for - the Macouns are ready! The Scarecrows in the Orchard Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 10. (Rain date: October 17th). Twighlight Hikes (weather permitting) take place on the second Friday of each month. Check our website for details.

JA Festival - Save the date for the annual Johnny Appleseed festival taking place on Sept. 12, at 9 a.m. (rain date Sept. 26th) in downtown Leominster. You do not want to miss this event. Join us for a variety of events, food, and fun for the whole family!

Finally, I want to thank all those who helped make our new solid waste trash program a success. We still have many corners to turn but everyone has worked hard to make it a success and I think everyone deserves a big thank you. Because of the success we will be announcing some new options to those who use the service. Again, thank you so much for your help.